Suki Benjamin

The Grammys Unveil Five New Categories, Including One To Honor Songwriters

The Recording Academy announced Thursday (June 9) several brand-new Grammy categories: Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical; Best Alternative Music Performance; Best Americana Music Performance; Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games And Other Interactive Media; Best Spoken Word Poetry Album; and the special merit award for Best Song for Social Change. All categories will go into effect in next year’s 2023 ceremony. “We’re so excited to honor these diverse communities of music creators through the newly established awards and amendments, and to continue cultivating an environment that inspires change, progress and collaboration,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in an official statement. “The Academy’s top priority is to effectively represent the music people that we serve, and each year, that entails listening to our members and ensuring our rules and guidelines reflect our ever-evolving industry.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CeljNR9p5Y4/ The Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical award will be the first time non-producing and non-performing songwriters who do a significant amount of work will receive a prestigious, honorary award for their major work and impact in the music industry. Without these writers, we would not have many of your favorite hits and bops — something songwriters have been reminding the Recording Academy about in… Read More →

09JUNNews

The Cure’s drummer taking part in charity bike ride to honour long-time crew member

The Cure’s Jason Cooper has announced he will be taking part in a charity bike ride in memory of long-serving crew member Paul ‘Ricky’ Welton. READ MORE: On the cover – Robert Smith on 40 years of The Cure Welton suffered a heart attack in 2019 while on tour with The Cure and died in hospital a few days later. The British Heart Foundation’s London To Brighton Bike Ride will start at London’s Clapham Common on June 19 and, 54 miles later, will finish on Brighton seafront. Advertisement “I’m riding the London To Brighton Bike Ride for the British Heart Foundation in memory of my dear departed drum technician [Ricky] who died of a heart attack”, Jason told BBC Radio 5 Live. “We shared lots of moments, he was just wonderful to have on stage and I could always depend on him. Ricky is dearly missed.” I am cycling from London to Brighton to raise money for the British Heart Foundation @TheBHF on 19 th June Here is a link to my page https://t.co/ZKtlRXSlUEThank you for your support X — Jason Cooper (@JasonCo35677578) May 26, 2022 “The BHF hope to raise £2.8 million from the event, which will see 14,000… Read More →

09JUNNews

aespa sell 1million copies of new album ‘Girls’ through pre-orders alone

aespa have sold more than 1million copies of their upcoming album ‘Girls’ through pre-orders alone. READ MORE: ENHYPEN on their musical duality: “If there is light, there’s got to be a shadow” The K-pop quartet’s label, SM Entertainment, told South Korean news outlet Yonhap News Agency earlier today (June 9) that aespa had managed to sell a million copies of their forthcoming second mini-album titled ‘Girls’ so far. Notably, it’s only been a week since pre-orders started on June 2. This achievement makes aespa the second K-pop girl group in history to sell a million copies of an album in pre-sales, following BLACKPINK with their 2020 record ‘The Album’. The latter project had racked up nearly 1.03million in pre-orders. Advertisement aespa had announced the forthcoming release of ‘Girls’ last week and also simultaneously dropped the song ‘Illusion’, which is also set to appear on the new record. According to the tracklist, as released by South Korean streaming platform Melon, the project will feature six new songs from the quartet, including title track ‘Girls’, and two never-before-heard songs ‘Lingo’ and ‘ICU’. On the tracklist will also be their upcoming English single ‘Life’s Too Short’, which the group originally debuted during their appearance at this… Read More →

08JUNNews

Asylums announce details of new album ‘Signs of Life’

Asylums have announced details of a new album called ‘Signs Of Life’ – get all the details on the record below. The follow-up to the Southend band’s Steve Albini-produced LP ‘Genetic Cabaret’ from 2020, will come out on October 14. Back in April, the album was previewed by new single ‘Crypto Klepto’, the four-piece’s first new music in two years. Advertisement The album was recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales and produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers, Idlewild, The Proclaimers). Speaking to the Southend Echo, vocalist and guitarist Luke Branch said: “So many iconic pieces of music have been made in the room at Rockfield Studios which we recorded in, Yellow by Coldplay, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and many more. “”We brought in a string quartet for a day to play and it was one of the most creative and rewarding musical experiences we have shared.” Listen to ‘Crypto Klepto’ below. “I can honestly say this is one of the most unhinged songs I’ve ever produced and up above 215bpm one of the fastest too,” Eringa said of the track. “At that speed, it’s genuinely difficult to get it this heavy but the booming tom overdubs and the phalanx… Read More →

08JUNNews

King Princess shares ‘Cursed’ and ‘Too Bad’ from upcoming second album

King Princess has shared two new tracks from her upcoming second album – listen to ‘Cursed’ and ‘Too Bad’ below. READ MORE: King Princess: “When Harry Styles tweeted about me, it was a huge deal” The follow-up to Mikaela Straus’ 2019 debut album ‘Cheap Queen’ was announced earlier this year alongside new track ‘For My Friends’, which follows recent tracks ‘House Burn Down’ and ‘Pain’. The album’s release date – July 29 – was then revealed last week alongside details of the album’s collaborators, including Mark Ronson, Ethan Gruska, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Tobias Jesso Jr and more. Advertisement Sharing a lengthy statement alongside the two new songs, Straus said: “I’ve only ever written about heartbreak. It felt easier to talk about myself through other people. To write about situations that caused me pain, and to use them to justify my own anxieties and depression. “It finally reached a point where I had to turn the barrel on myself. I’m silly, I’m anxious, I’m sad, I’m sexy. I didn’t want to be scared to talk about those things anymore. The infinite dichotomy of things that make me up. I’m not a girl, not quite a boy, a lesbian, but also gay as the… Read More →

08JUNHit Singles

Bonny Light Horseman announce new album, Rolling Golden Holy

Bonny Light Horseman have announced details of their new album, Rolling Golden Holy. ORDER NOW: Queen are on the cover of the latest issue of Uncut Produced by the band’s Josh Kaufman, the follow up to self-titled debut will be released on October 7 2022, via 37d03d Records. Click here to pre-order. You can hear “California”, from the new album, here. The tracklisting for Rolling Golden Holy is: Exile Comrade Sweetheart California Summer Dream Gone By Fall Sweetbread Someone To Weep For Me Fleur De Lis Once On Another Day Fair Annie Cold Rain and Snow Bonny Light Horseman are currently on tour in America supporting Bon Iver and have announced their own headline dates there in the Autumn. Full run here.

08JUNNews

Listen to Danger Mouse and Black Thought’s soulful new single ‘Because’

Danger Mouse and Black Thought have shared a second song from their upcoming debut collaborative debut album ‘Cheat Codes‘ – listen to ‘Because’ below. ‘Because’ follows ‘No Gold Teeth’, which was released last month, and features guest turns by Joey Bada$$, Russ and Dylan Cartlidge. Set to be released on August 12 via BMG, ‘Cheat Codes’ is Danger Mouse’s first hip-hop full-length since his ‘DANGERDOOM’ collaboration with the late MF DOOM which was released in October 2005. Advertisement Joey Bada$$ said: “I’ve always been a big fan of Black Thought and Danger Mouse. I think Black Thought is one of the greatest rappers ever, so when they asked me to get on this record, it was a no-brainer, plus the record is fire! “I still remember the first time I heard ‘You Got Me’ the video was shot on my great-grandmother’s block and I was actually there that day when I was a child. It changed the way I looked at music. I’m very honoured to be a part of this track. We’re making history!” Russ added: “Being able to collaborate with one of the greatest lyricists of all time is an honor and to do it in unison with Danger… Read More →

08JUNNews

Justin Bieber postpones North American tour dates due to illness: “I’ve done everything to get better”

Justin Bieber has postponed the start of his North American ‘Justice’ tour, just hours before it was meant to begin last night (June 7) at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. The singer took to his Instagram stories to tell fans that his undisclosed illness would prevent him from taking to the stage. “Can’t believe I’m saying this,” he wrote. “I’ve done everything to get better, but my sickness is getting worse.” At the time of publishing, rescheduled dates had not been shared for the affected shows. View a screenshot of the story below: Advertisement It also remains unclear as to how many shows Bieber is referring to when he says “these next few shows”. Per Billboard, Bieber’s tour was scheduled to take place in Toronto, Washington D.C. and New York City over the next week. The ‘Justice’ world tour has already been rescheduled three times thus far, stemming from its original 2020 iteration as the ‘Changes’ tour. Further delays happened earlier this year, after Bieber tested positive for COVID-19, but the singer did complete a run of shows in the UK and Europe in February and March. Bieber is set to return to Europe in late July, playing a run of Scandinavian dates, followed… Read More →

07JUNNews

Lizzo calls out “ugly” men who use her name to “insult” women

Lizzo has called out “ugly” men who use her name to “insult” women. READ MORE: There’s a new wave of unrelatable pop, and I’m all for it The rapper and pop star took to Twitter to assert that it’s instead a “compliment” for women to be compared to her. “Dudes be ugly w no bitches talking bout ‘oK LiZzO’ as an insult in girls comments,” the singer wrote. “I’m beautiful rich & get immaculate dick…ISSA COMPLIMENT. If u can’t make it past the cheeks just say that.” Advertisement Lizzo has previously used social media to air her views, however on some occasions she has been trolled so much that she’s felt a break has been in order. Dudes be ugly w no bitches talking bout “oK LiZzO” as an insult in girls comments… I’m beautiful rich & get immaculate dick… ISSA COMPLIMENT ??‍♀️ If u can’t make it past the cheeks ✨just say that✨ — FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) June 4, 2022 In 2020 the rapper wrote on Twitter: “Yeah, I can’t do this shit no more. Too many trolls. I’ll be back when I feel like it.” The move followed the singer previously responded to trolls who body-shamed her on… Read More →

07JUNNews

Tim Burgess announces double album ‘Typical Music’ and shares title track

Tim Burgess has announced a forthcoming double album, ‘Typical Music’, and shared its title track – listen below. READ MORE: The best things we’ve learned from Tim Burgess’ Twitter ‘listening parties’ The 22-track ‘Typical Music’ arrives on September 23 via Bella Union (pre-order here). It marks the follow-up to The Charlatans frontman’s fifth album ‘I Love the New Sky‘ which was released in 2020. Yesterday (June 6) Burgess posted the music video for the album’s lead single and title track. Watch the Kevin Godley-directed clip below. Advertisement Burgess said in a statement accompanying the album news: “OK, we all know about double albums, right? Historically, they’ve been thought of as indulgent. But I came to the conclusion that what I was doing was the opposite of that. “I wanted to give people everything that I’d done. And everything that I brought to the studio and worked on with the guys, I coloured them all in equally. Every idea was treated as if it was the best thing and had to be treated with extreme care. I wanted to give everything of myself. That was it,” he said. Burgess recorded the album at Rockfield, the famous farmyard recording establishment in Wales… Read More →

06JUNNews

George Ezra details Australian leg of ‘Gold Rush Kid’ world tour

George Ezra has announced the Australian leg of his ‘Gold Rush Kid’ tour, taking his titular third album Down Under at the end of October. READ MORE: 10 reasons to like George Ezra, actually He’ll play in Eora/Sydney first, hitting the Aware Super Theatre on Saturday October 29, before seeing out the month with a gig at Naarm/Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Monday October 31. From there will come two outdoor gigs, first at Meanjin/Brisbane’s Riverstage on Wednesday November 2, then at Kings Park & Botanic Garden in Perth on Saturday November 5. Tickets for all four shows go on sale at 10am local time this Friday (June 10), with a pre-sale running from the same time on Thursday (June 9). To access the presale, fans will need to sign up to a mailing list here. Otherwise, general sale tickets can be found here. Advertisement This Friday will also see the release of ‘Gold Rush Kid’. Ezra has shared three singles from the record thus far: ‘Anyone For You (Tiger Lily)’ back in January, ‘Green Green Grass’ in April, and ‘I Went Hunting’ last Thursday (June 2). It comes as the follow-up to 2018’s ‘Staying At Tamara’s’, which earned a… Read More →

06JUNNews

System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian shares Armenian protest song ‘Amber’

System Of A Down singer Serj Tankian has shared a new solo song that serves as a resistance piece to the “slick theft” he claims he’s seen in Armenia’s political elections. READ MORE: System Of A Down’s new anthems of rebellion are arena-ready calls for justice The track, which is sung entirely in the Armenian language, was written in 2017 but was completed this year. It features Armenian singer Sevak Amroyan and comes with a Hrag Yedalian-directed music video, which you can watch below. The song’s title ‘Amber’ is pronounced “ahm-be’r” and translates to “clouds” in Armenian. Advertisement Tankian, who is American-Armenian, said: “‘Amber’ was written in 2017 after I visited Armenia along with my friends Atom & Arsinee Egoyan and Eric Nazarian as members of the coalition ‘Justice for Armenia’ to serve as election monitors for the Parliamentary elections. “I was so distraught by the slick theft of the elections before ever reaching the ballot box that I wrote this song as a response.” He continued: “The lyrics however seem to be more poignant today when Armenians are divided politically and socially following the devastating attack on Nagorno-Karabagh and Armenia by Azerbaijan and Turkey in 2020 and the continuous fallout… Read More →

06JUNNews

‘Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’ songwriter Paul Vance has died

Paul Vance, the songwriter behind ‘Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’ and more pop classics has died at the age of 92. Vance – real name Joseph Paul Florio – was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 4, 1929. His songwriting partnership with Lee Pockriss produced more than 300 songs including the aforementioned 1960 worldwide hit ‘Itsy Bitsy…’ and other chart-topper ‘Catch A Falling Star’, which was performed by Perry Como and released in 1957. ‘Itsy Bitsy…’ sold more than 20 million copies and reached the Top 10 in the UK originally. In 1990 it achieved the UK Number One in a version devised by Andrew Lloyd Webber that was sung by Timmy Mallett. Vance and Pockriss also wrote novelty tracks including The Detergents’ ‘Leader Of The Laundromat’, which was a parody of the Shangri-Las’ 1964 Number One pop hit ‘Leader Of The Pack’, as well as Billy Thornhill’s ‘What’s Going On in the Barn’. Other successes followed in the ’70s with hits including Clint Holmes’ ‘Playground In My Mind’ and David Geddes’ ‘Run Joey Run’, before Vance retired from music at the start of the ’80s to pursue a career in harness race horses. Singer-songwriter Paul… Read More →

06JUNNews

Corey Taylor says new Slipknot music is coming “very fucking soon”

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has promised that new music from the band is set to arrive “very fucking soon”. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Slipknot: “I’m just going to tell you the facts: this album is a masterpiece” Taylor confirmed in March that the masked metal titans had completed work on their “killer” new record, which will follow 2019’s ‘We Are Not Your Kind’. A release date is not yet known. After saying that the album could arrive in “maybe summertime”, Taylor told fans at a recent Knotfest Roadshow gig in Ohio that the music would be arriving “very fucking soon”. Advertisement He said: “Now, we don’t have an exact date on it, but I’m here to tell you, you’re not gonna be waiting very, very fucking long. Goddammit, I promise you, you will have new fucking Slipknot music very fucking soon.” Earlier this year Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson gave further insight into what fans could expect from the band’s next full-length effort, explaining that his “sound selection was a little more off-planet than normal” following an extensive period of touring. Drummer Jay Weinberg has also said that the band “turned up the dials on experimentation” while making their seventh album. Taylor also gave… Read More →

06JUNNews

Ashanti gives surprise performance at a Manchester burger restaurant following arena gig

Ashanti turned up to a Manchester burger restaurant after her AO Arena gig on Thursday (June 2) and performed a dance routine in front of customers and fans. The R&B icon, who had played in the city hours before, was still wearing her gig outfit when she visited Archie’s at Manchester Piccadilly and broke into dance. Ashanti posted videos to her TikTok account of her and her backing dancers performing a short routine inside the burger bar that frequently attracts celebrities. Advertisement As Manchester Evening News reports, music figures including Rita Ora and The Game, and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr have visited the restaurant previously. The Grammy Award-winning singer is in the middle of a world tour alongside fellow US stars Trey Songz and Mario. Ashanti stuns burger fans at Archie's in Manchester with dazzling late-night appearancehttps://t.co/YJ24mZ1qjS — CityLife Manchester (@CityLifeManc) June 5, 2022 She’s perhaps best known for early ’00s songs ‘What’s Luv’ with Fat Joe and ‘Always On Time’ with Ja Rule. Recently, her song ‘Rock Wit U’ was sampled by Manchester rapper Aitch on his single ‘Baby’. Aitch was also a surprise guest at her AO Arena gig. Ashanti’s last album was 2014’s ‘Braveheart’, but she announced… Read More →

06JUNNews

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard have completed their next albums: “There’s a couple locked away”

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard have revealed that they’ve completed their next albums, saying they have “a couple locked away”. Speaking to Australian broadcaster triple j last week, the prolific pysch-rock outfit described the finished, yet-to-be-released material as “jammy and meandering, kinda funky-prog-something”. “They’re kind of a response to us not being able to get together and play during lockdowns,” explained guitarist Joey Walker. “It’s just jamming and the product of that. We’re really, really pumped about them.” Advertisement The band didn’t reveal any other details about the records, or when they might be released. READ MORE: King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard: “It’s cool how divisive we are” Elsewhere in the interview, they talked about touring their latest album ‘Omnium Gatherum’, which marks their 20th full-length effort. They’ve been playing a slew of international shows in support of the album over the last few months, including a recent stint in Greece which they had to play without a drummer due to Michael Cavanagh contracting COVID-19. “I went to a Greek music shop and bought an 808 drum machine,” said Walker. “We essentially played all the King Gizzard songs over trap beats.” Watch fan of that performance footage below. ‘Omnium… Read More →

05JUNNews

Robbie Williams covers Oasis at big homecoming gig

Robbie Williams covered an Oasis classic at his big homecoming concert in Stoke-on-Trent last night (June 4). The pop star performed at Vale Park in his hometown – the stadium where his football team Port Vale play. READ MORE: Let him entertain you! Why the Robbie Williams biopic will be a must-watch movie During the gig, Williams aired versions of Take That songs including ‘Do What U Like’ and ‘Could It Be Magic’, before launching into a version of Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’. According to the Stoke Sentinel, the singer told fans at the gig that he was kicked out of Take That for “going to Glastonbury and hanging out with the Gallagher brothers”. Advertisement Later in the concert, the star debuted Port Vale’s new home kit during the encore and lifted the club’s new playoff trophy on stage. Watch fan-shot footage of the moments below. Robbie Williams hizo un cover de “Don’t look back in anger” en su show de anoche. pic.twitter.com/xVwFPVLG6C — . (@tcbrothers) June 5, 2022 Introducing our 22/23 home kit… ?? pic.twitter.com/gV3sMVL9rv — (P)ort Vale FC (@OfficialPVFC) June 4, 2022 Robbie Williams played: ‘Let Me Entertain You’ ‘Monsoon’ ‘Land Of 1000 Dances’ ‘Strong’ ‘Come Undone’… Read More →

05JUNNews

Watch Florence + The Machine cover John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’

Florence + The Machine has covered John Lennon‘s ‘Jealous Guy’ in the studio – check out the performance below. READ MORE: Florence + The Machine – ‘Dance Fever’ review: the triumphant sound of a singer reborn Florence Welch and co. performed the cover while appearing on SiriusXM, performing a number of tracks from new album ‘Dance Fever’ as well as the version of Lennon’s famous track, first released on 1971 album ‘Imagine’. ‘Dance Fever’ was released last month and beat Kendrick Lamar‘s Mr Morale & The Big Steppers’ to top spot in the UK charts, marking the band’s fourth UK Number One album following 2009 debut ‘Lungs’, follow up ‘Ceremonials’ and 2015’s ‘How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful’. Advertisement Check out Florence + The Machine’s acoustic cover of John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’ for SiriusXM below. In a four-star review, NME said that ‘Dance Fever’ boasts “gorgeously expressive songs”, adding: “This 14-track collection reflects a new sense of resolve, packing an invigorated spirit into powerful, sneakily thrilling pop.” Florence + The Machine will showcase the album on a UK and Ireland headline tour in November. You can see the band’s upcoming dates below and buy any remaining tickets here. It’ll follow an expansive tour throughout North America, where the band will play… Read More →

04JUNNews

Yungblud calls auditioning for Danny Boyle’s ‘Pistol’ “life-changing”

Yungblud has spoken about the experience of auditioning for Danny Boyle’s Pistol series, calling it “life-changing”. The musician – whose real name is Dominic Harrison – was talking to NME for this week’s Big Read cover story, ahead of the release of his self-titled third album on September 2. READ MORE: Yungblud: “This album is about reclaiming my name and humanising the caricature” Although Harrison went up for an undisclosed part in the new Sex Pistols biopic show, he ultimately wasn’t chosen to be a part of the final cast. Despite this, he still described the experience as “life-changing”. Advertisement “I loved it, but I think I was too close in likeness to [the Sex Pistols],” he told NME. “I think with Danny Boyle, who is such an incredible director, he wanted blank canvases. If I was to play a Sex Pistol, see, there would already be a misconception about how I’d approach [the role].” Yungblud on the cover of NME Last year, the musician was rumoured to have auditioned to play Boy George in an upcoming Culture Club biopic. While Harrison didn’t confirm details on this to NME, he hinted that the film is “in the works”. Check out the… Read More →

03JUNNews

Glastonbury announces huge burning memorial sculpture

Glastonbury Festival has announced that this year’s event will feature a huge sculpture that will be set alight at the end of the weekend. READ MORE: We’re gonna need a bigger farm: why Glastonbury 2022 could be the best in history Attendees will be invited to write messages about things they wish to let go of on a 40 foot lotus sculpture that was created by artist Joe Rush and his team out of salvaged wood and canvas. The sculpture, located near to The Park Stage, will be symbolically burned at midnight on the festival’s last day, Sunday June 26. In a statement Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis explained the concept behind the sculpture and shared an artist’s impression. Advertisement “During the Festival, people will be encouraged to write down memories and images of people or situations that they wish to let go of, it may be people who died in the lockdown who were not properly said goodbye to, it may be failed business projects, may even be failed marriages, but the point is that all of these things will be focused on and then placed inside the Lotus,” Eavis said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emily… Read More →

03JUNNews

Primavera apologises for “problems in the bar services” amid complaints over large queues, overcrowding and access to water

Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival has apologised for “problems” amid a number of complaints from attendees about large queues for bars, lack of access to water despite high temperatures, and overcrowded stages. Attendees have taken to social media to raise complaints about the first weekend of this year’s edition, which began yesterday (June 2) and continues until Saturday (June 4). “I’ve been going to Primavera almost yearly for over a decade and last night was the worst I’ve ever seen it in terms of organisation. Insane queues for everything, overcrowding, hard to get to some stages and actually see bands, atrocious access to water. Total shitshow,” said one fan on Twitter. I’ve been going to Primavera almost yearly for over a decade and last night was the worst I’ve ever seen it in terms of organisation. Insane queues for everything, overcrowding, hard to get to some stages and actually see bands, atrocious access to water. Total shitshow. — Daniel Dylan Wray (@DanielDylanWray) June 3, 2022 Advertisement #primaverasound waited 45 mins for a drink. Moved 1 metre. @Primavera_Sound pic.twitter.com/QhwzKEMlSy — 44soy (@44soy44) June 2, 2022 Have always loved @Primavera_Sound but there’ve been terrible decisions made this year: massively oversold, hour long queue… Read More →